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IDA outlines more than $10 million in recent grants, announces Wi‑Fi RFP
Summary
IDA staff reported multiple grant awards including $6M for a manufacturing hub, $2.3M for commerce park expansion, $1.48M for downtown parking and a $391,380 broadband grant; board authorized an RFP for public Wi‑Fi and formed an evaluation committee.
IDA staff told the board on Wednesday that the development group has secured multiple grants that will underpin infrastructure and economic projects across Hardee County.
Highlights included: a $6,000,000 Job Growth Infrastructure Fund award to design and build a publicly owned 40,000‑square‑foot warehouse at the Hardee County Commerce Park; a $2,306,000 Job Growth grant for Commerce Park expansion (phase 2 infrastructure); and a $1,478,822 Rural Infrastructure Fund award to construct centralized parking for Gardens at Midtown. Staff also reported a $391,380 award from the Florida Capital Projects Fund for a public Wi‑Fi deployment linking Main Street to the fairgrounds.
Ms. Roberts said the IDA served as economic broker on multiple projects and is coordinating reporting and matches on grants obtained for municipal partners, including an Economic Development Administration award supporting the US‑17 Corridor Study ($192,000 federal + $48,000 IDA contribution = $240,000 total) and two community development block grant disaster recovery applications currently under review for Bowling Green ($6,000,000) and Wauchula ($2,386,500) focused on a public safety complex and wastewater rehabilitation respectively.
On the Wi‑Fi project the board authorized issuance of RFP 2025‑2 for public Wi‑Fi infrastructure design, engineering and installation. Responses will be due Nov. 10 and the evaluation committee (Sarah Evers, Kristen Chapman, Lee Michael) will rank proposals and return a staff recommendation to the board. Staff added a local‑preference scoring component to encourage local responses and said the RFP will be advertised in the newspaper, on DemandStar and on the IDA website and social media.
Roberts said other grant work includes a $278,500 rural infrastructure award for an intermodal logistics feasibility study and pending funding requests for phase 2 of Gardens at Midtown to move utilities underground ($226,250 request under review).
Board members asked about timelines and reporting requirements; staff said grants are generally on track and that some awards (Commerce Park expansion) carry long reporting windows (e.g., 10 years) with deliverables to meet within those terms. Staff noted reimbursement structures mean the IDA must manage project cash flow carefully.
